I've Googled & searched BF for information on the difference between "MTB brake pads" and "road brake pads," but find little information other than "replace your pads with some identical to the originals."

So pardon my ignorance, but what (if any) differences ARE there between rim brake pads sold as MTB models and those sold as road models? Are they interchangeable? Are the long, narrow ones better at stopping than the fat, short ones, or vice versa?

Thanks - FH

It used to be the case that road caliper, MTB Canti & MTB Liner pull all used different pads, but now manufactures will spec the same pads on just about everything.

Would just stick with the same design as were OEM to your brakes.

I'd use what fits the width of the rim's brake track best.

MTB V brake pads are longer than road types .. there are multiple mounting types .. IDK what you have..

you can always bump up to replaceable insert shoes from molded single piece types, then next time Insert replacement will cost less..

For wheel swaps a Cantilever/V brake shorter pad swings past the front of a narrower fork , rather than having the longer tail stopped by the fork blades.

Wide Sus fork Its doest matter ..

Thanks for the info. The current calipers use the old "block" style pads. They are replaceable, but I'd hoped to put something on with more stopping power.

When you asked the makers and sellers, what did they say?

I have not asked the makers & sellers - I wanted to be informed BEFORE I went to the LBS to make a purchase.

Just as I consider it unethical to go the the LBS for information & then buy online, I consider it similarly unethical to ply online sellers for information & then buy at the LBS.

By asking in this forum, I get the information I need to make an informed buying choice regardless of where I choose to do business. For small parts like these, though, I prefer to buy locally. Only for really obscure things that the LBS won't stock do I buy online.

IDK what specific brake you are using .. Your hands are still what stops the Bike , pulling on the lever .

I really like the Performance of My Magura HS33 Hydraulic rim brakes with Kool Stop Salmon compound Pads ,

and have the KS Pad of same compound In The Tektro Made Pad holders on My Brompton and my Cross Bike ,
each have a different way the pads are fitted to the Brakes .

NB even if the LBS is not a Mind Reader to stock what you have in mind before you ask, they can add it to the next order with their distributor suppliers.
and hand it to you over the counter , shipping cost included ..

Actually the biggest (and most important) difference is the thickness (distance from brake arm to rim surface). Road shoes are usually thinner, aka lower profile, than mtn shoes, but this isn't always the case.

The thickness or profile needs to be matched fairly closely because it determines the arm angle when the brake is applied, and can thereby affect performance. It's not a precise thing, but you want to be in the right ballpark.

The length can also be important, especially of front brakes. Road calipers sit closer to the fork, and long shoes may not clear.

Names don't matter, but dimensions do.

Your starting point is the specific brake make and model you have. Once you supply that information you can start looking for the brake pads you need. A brake pad that would work on the Mafac centre pull brakes used on French bikes built in the 1970's would not work on a Shimano double pivot side pull brake built in 2015.

The two bikes that currently need brake pads are a 1980's Nishiki with Shimano 600 road brakes / 27" wheels and a 1986 Raleigh with Dia Compe AC500-G calipers / 700c wheels. All the current pads (which I suspect are original) have "fossilized" and are now both hard and ineffective at stopping the bikes.

If it makes any difference (I don't think it would), the Nishiki uses Campagnolo aero levers and the Raleigh the original Dia-Compe drilled levers.

To keep the stock look, use something like the Cane Creek pads.

Otherwise, a road caliper pad holder that takes a pad insert, and has a domed washer to adjust toe in. Probably the Shimano type has the most different pads made for it, by Shimano and others.

That wheel looks off center - check dish? And if you adjust the brakes to run the pads closer to the rim, the brakes will work better.

The Dia Compe / Cane Creek "Gray Matter" pads would be a direct replacement for the pictured ones. They're cheap and they're not half bad.

Both of those brakes will accept generic "road" brake pads, like these: Sunlite Brake Shoes X-Cut Black 10Pr/Cd Bikewagon (note that the price is for 10 pair).

IMO, a good upgrade would be to change to Kool-Stop Continental brake pads: Universal Cycles -- Kool Stop Continental Brake Shoes